Director Matthew Vaughn (Stardust, X-Men First Class) has crafted a stylish, insanely violent action thriller that will grab you like a jackal from the first frame. Based on the comic series by Mark Millar and David Gibbons,Kingsman: The Secret Serviceis a wickedly subversive take on the stuffy British spy genre. We’ve had decades of Bond and many imitators, but nothing that has taken the good parts and really cranked it up a few notches. Kingsman takes that vodka martini and adds a shot of adrenaline to the mix.
Kingsman is an exquisite tailor shop on London’s famed Saville’s row. Along with its bespoke gentleman’s attire, it is the front for an ultra secretive organization of spies that holds no loyalty to any country. Colin Firth stars as Harry Hart, codenamed Galahad, the lead agent under the aristocratic leadership of Arthur (Michael Caine). When an agent is mysteriously sliced in half while on a rescue mission, Galahad must find the murderer, and equally important, replace his fallen comrade. Fate draws him to Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (Taron Egerton), the son of another agent killed seventeen years ago. A capable but delinquent youth, Eggsy excels in training; but chafes under the sneers of his patrician competitors. Galahad’s investigation leads him to the baseball cap wearing, lisping, billionaire entertainment mogul, Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson). It seems Mr. Valentine has an extreme concern for global warming and a fetching, amputee valet (Sofia Boutella) with razor sharp blades for feet.
The casting in Kingsman is perfect. Colin Firth, no stranger to playing an English gentleman, is spectacular in his fight scenes. He also delivers sly barbs with a casual parlance that had me laughing out loud. Taron Egerton’s journey as Eggsy is fantastic to behold. He starts off as a snide urchin, but pulls off the transition to ass-kicking hero with flair. The finest performance here comes from Samuel L. Jackson as the villain. Richmond Valentine is a caricature of hip hop and fashion mogul, Russell Simmons. He’s absolutely hilarious, from his effete disdain of violence to lisping monologues. Jackson is legend as a character actor and delivers one of his most memorable characters. Mark Strong also deserves a nod. He’s excellent as Merlin, the Q branch of Kingsman.
Matthew Vaughn’s films have a certain panache and visual allure that I’ve come to really admire. I wasn’t that fond of his first film, Layer Cake, but to his credit, he’s gotten much better with each subsequent work. Kingsman is his new pinnacle. It flows like a breeze with magnetic acting and dynamite action scenes. It was so entertaining and funny, it really left me wanting more. Bond’s got some real competition from Kingsman.
Kingsman is a brutal, hard R film. The trailers and posters don’t give a slight hint to the carnage that awaits. The violence might turn some fans of the classic spy genre off, but Kingsman is not your father’s spy film. It’s got the savoir faire and finesse, but twenty-first century take on the action scenes. An absolute delight,Kingsman: The Secret Serviceis a must see.
